Ode to Ovid

This is the second part to a three part series

Read Part I here

Read Part III here

One day, a king’s knight
entered the woods.
He fell upon the divine beauty
who had invested herself
in the woodsman.

“What are you doing living
in these woods?
Where are your clothes?” He asked.

Now, the fathers below heard
the knight’s words fall upon her
and they begged Hades to blind her
from his questioning.

But Hades felt she had been
hidden long enough
and refused their pleas.

“Naked?” She asked;
“If there was something
I needed my skilled woodsman
would have brought it to me.”

He replied, “Your woodsman hasn’t
warned you what could come
if you lived out here naked
with no protection? Do you know
our enemy is coming?
They will be charging these woods soon.”

“Enemy? I know no such thing.
My woodsman will bring
me what I need.” She returned to her
birds and flowers and wines and chocolates.

He stayed with her, remaining hidden.

While they were in the woods
the enemy fell upon the woodsman’s town.
He, his wife, and family were slaughtered.
After the massacre of that town the army
took stance and defeated them.

The divine woman awaits her woodsman,
unaware of his slaughter.

“It has been three days,
your woodsman has not returned.
What will you do?”

The fathers below cried out to Hades
“Please Hades send him away.
Don’t arouse her curiosity anymore.
Allow her to remain in the woods till she
rests in peace.”

Hades with the view of history
behind his eyes
concedes to their wishes.
The knight is summoned by honored
servants to return to the dying king’s bedside.

The divine woman, who the woodsman
never named in order
to keep her secret,
knew that her woodsman was safe.
In her bliss, she assumed her woodsman
was awaiting her to join him.
So she began her journey out of the woods.

The fathers below watched on
in horror as their daughter,
ignorant and naked,
wandered toward the massacred town.
They begged Hades once again,
“Please keep her in the woods,
please send the soldier back to her.”

Hades said “It is you
who have kept your daughter
in darkness. It is you who
begged me to rid her protection.
Now, you will see the weight of your
desires.

The divine woman with no name stepped
out of the woods.

~Saschia Johnson~

This is part two of a three part series. Thanks for reading.

Read Part III here

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